Pharmacies....hahaha!

Hubby normally has his prescriptions mailed to him, but we are taking a little trip and wanted to make sure he got them, so had them filled at the HMO pharmacy....45 miles away.  They called and said they were in so we made the trip today.

His Humulin R U-500 was not in.  He has gotten the vial and syringes for years.  Today, they told him he had to switch to the Qwik-set pen.  I was in the car and he called me.  I went in, and when I asked why he couldn't get the vial, the gal said, "we can no longer get it."

I asked, "why not?"  And she said, "they are no longer manufacturing it."

I had already checked Eli Lilly on my iPhone and showed her the website and said, "they are still manufacturing it."  To which she replied, "it is no longer on our formulary."

So I said, "I checked your formulary in November and it was on the 2018 formulary.  You cannot change your formulary mid year and it is the ONLY reason with have stayed with this HMO."

I had her in a corner and she said, "I'll let you talk to the pharmacist."  And of course he started in with the same line of conversation, but when I got to the part that the could not change their formulary, I saw a look in his eyes and I knew immediately that he knew I was right!

He made 1 phone call and the vial will be in tomorrow.

But it means another 90 mile round trip to the pharmacy.

I suggested to Hubby that we make a visit to his endocrinologist when we get home (heading out for about 3 weeks on Monday) and discuss the pen with her.  It sounds like the HMO will be taking the vial off their formulary in 2019.

Now, why wouldn't he want the pen?  Well, his dad used to have his insulin administered by a pen.  It takes much longer to go in, and even I'm smart enough to realize that I wouldn't want a needle sticking down in my skin a nano second longer than necessary.

Why would anyone???  What is wrong with the pharmaceutical industry that they want to inflict pain and suffering on anyone???

He currently uses a 31G needle....one of the thinest there is.  The Qwikset pen comes standard with a 29G...a little bigger.  But he said the main thing is the time the needle remains under the skin and that is how the pen pumps the insulin out.  I'll take his word for that (as I sit here and cringe at the very thought of a needle going into me....do not even try to tell me that you get used to it!!!)  I'm the queen of needle phobia - just ask anyone!

When hubby had his open heart surgery, my brother insisted on going in with me the first time I saw him after the surgery.  My brother was certain that I would pass out from the sight of all the needles, IVs, etc.  I didn't.  But I did go weak in the knees and was ever so grateful that my brother was by my side!  To this day I can barely stand to have blood drawn.  It's just a thing.  So I can't fathom giving myself a shot every day and it it hurt for one second, I wouldn't do it!  So in this instance, I will come to hubby's defense!

But you have to wonder.....does the pharmacy think they can just switch this for anyone?  What if I hadn't been there to make the statements I did?  What gives the pharmacy staff the right to blatantly lie to me....that it wasn't being manufactured....that it wasn't on their formulary???  Do they think everyone who walks through the door is a moronic idiot who will just do exactly what they say?

This is January.  They have to provide the vials for 11 more months!  They HAVE to, by law, notify him in writing that the product is no longer available.  And they cannot change the formulary mid year.  Did you know that???

Years ago I managed a medical billing unit for a huge home health care agency.  That experience has paid off 100 times in my lifetime.   I get that the HMO wants to "save" money, or keep people from dosing incorrectly.  But this is a guy who has been using a vial and syringes for years.  Not someone who just started.  And I will never understand blatantly lying to a customer.  Simply beyond my comprehension!

So tomorrow, we will get up at the butt crack of dawn and drive 90 miles round trip.  All I can say is that a VIAL of Humulin r-U500 better be there!  LOL!!!

DW